The Perfect Journey
by spazzyd
Summary: Their journey has finally come to an end. AU Season Eight, minor SJ


**The Perfect Journey**

Season: AU Eight

Pairings: Sam/Jack, Other

Summary: A perfect journey has come to an end.

* * *

"It's over." Daniel's voice rang loud amidst the silence that followed the explosion. The crowd of thousands of remaining Tau'ri had been shocked into silence immediately after Lieutenant Colonel Carter had detonated their final explosive in an attempt to eliminate the enemy. Daniel's statement merely confirmed what everyone had just realized to be true.

It was over. It was done.

They were free.

In one simultaneous whoop of joy, everyone released the tense breath they had been holding, and instantly grabbed their neighbor in a hug, exemplifying the relief, the fatigue, and immense happiness they were feeling, knowing that they had lived, that they had survived, that their race would live on.

Carter glanced at Daniel and grinned, too giddy - too shocked, really - for words. It had worked. She somehow hadn't been able to bring herself to trust the plan, though she had delivered it with such efficiency, that no one had questioned it. Teal'c smiled and patted his son, Ry'ac, on the back. Ry'ac nodded solemnly and tightened his grip on Cassandra's hand. Yes, they were safe, and Ry'ac understood the implications of such a feat. It was a good feeling.

General Jack O'Neill watched the proceedings in stoic bliss. If one were to look at him (and didn't know him), one would think that he was completely unaffected by the victory the humans had just accomplished. However, his team, his close friends, his family - they knew.

"You could at least _pretend_ to be excited," Cassandra teased him, nudging him in the side with her free elbow. O'Neill simply looked down at Cassie and smiled.

"Oh, I'm excited on the inside, Cass," O'Neill responded. "Can't you tell?"

Carter shot O'Neill a good-natured look of annoyance, then slowly made her way out of the crowd and to the front door. Folks were already breaking out the alcohol, and children were being herded to their separate areas. Carter glanced back once more at the party and smiled with a shake of her head, before continuing her movement to the edge of the crowd. Teal'c was right on her heels, and soon, the six friends were making their way to an exit, with the party that was ensuing proving to be a natural precursor to the tasks that would have to be carried out the following day.

Both O'Neill and Carter were already making plans for the jobs that would need to be delegated. Teal'c already had an idea in his mind for whom to request to help him build the housing developments a half a click north. Daniel had his heart set on a couple of areas where schools could be built. The city would have to be developed, and it would have to be developed quickly. PLX-3459 (also known as "Home") suffered very mild winters, but summers would be the killer, and the community needed to prepare for those while it still could.

Without a viable Stargate, they would have to work and live as if this was to be their home forever. In all actuality, it very well could be.

Carter stopped as soon as she opened the door leading to the outside, causing everyone who was following her to stop as well.

"Oh my God." Carter's shocked voice reached O'Neill who was all the way at the back of the line, and the first feeling that came to him was worry. However, upon realizing that this was Carter's I'm-so-excited-about-something-good voice, he calmed down and smiled.

"What's the hold up?" O'Neill asked as the line began to move.

"It's snowing!" Daniel exclaimed, as he joined Carter on the porch. She was staring up at the sky, and Daniel was already making his way down to the yard that was directly in front of what served to be the community's warehouse/meeting house. O'Neill couldn't help but laugh.

"You're kidding me!"

"No, sir!" Carter answered immediately, as she cautiously made her way down the steps.

The snow was incredible. It covered everything like a thick blanket. Over the hills, one could barely see the smoke that was rising into the atmosphere from the major explosion that had just taken place.

"It'll rain soon," O'Neill muttered, seemingly reading Carter's mind. She simply nodded and stared out into the expanse.

"It's beautiful," was all she could say.

"Yes, it is, Colonel," O'Neill answered without looking at her, although Carter had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't just talking about the landscape.

She remained silent, however. There really wasn't time for them to delve into THAT now, was there?

"A perfect ending to a perfect journey," he continued, and then turned to Carter. "Don't you think?"

"Absolutely, sir," Carter agreed. "It turned out to be a good day after all."

Carter's repeating of a statement that she had said nearly seven years before brought O'Neill back to the issue at hand and he nodded.

"I can't believe it!" Cassandra cried happily as she made her way down into the yard. "I thought you said it didn't snow here," she called accusingly.

"We thought it didn't!" Daniel answered as he playfully threw a snowball into her hair. Cassandra shrieked.

"Daniel!"

"So this is snow," Rya'c answered as he wandered about the yard curiously. Finally, he looked up. "I wondered if I would ever see it for myself." He bent down and gingerly fingered the substance. "It's... it's amazing." He stood up and turned to O'Neill and Carter. "Will it snow like this often?"

"We can only hope so," O'Neill responded, shooting Carter a smirk. Carter smiled in response.

"Ry'ac!" Teal'c called from across the yard.

"Yes, Fath - umph!" Ry'ac's statement was immediately cut off, as Teal'c pelted him in the face with a snowball. The others laughed, however Ry'ac turned to his father in surprise.

"It's called a snowball, Ry'ac," Cassandra answered as she balled some snow into her hands. "You throw them like this." Cassandra demonstrated by winding up and pitching one right at Daniel. It hit Daniel's chest with an unceremonious thud. Teal'c chuckled. Cassie turned back to Ry'ac. "See - ah!" Cassie ducked just in time to dodge Ry'ac's attack.

"I believe I am 'getting the hang of it,' Cassandra," Rya'c replied.

This time, it was the former members of SG-1 who chuckled. Cassandra turned to Carter and frowned.

"It's not funny, Sam."

"Oh, I don't know," Sam responded as she bent down and picked up some snow. "It was... kind of funny... when you think about it..."

"Sam..." Cassandra's tone was a warning as she closed her eyes. "Don't even think about it."

"Think about what?" Sam asked as she closed in on her position.

"About hitting me with a - "

Splat!

Splat!

Splat!

Cassandra opened her eyes once more to find that she was unharmed and still in one piece. Sam, however, was the exact opposite. It seemed as if Jack, Teal'c, and Daniel had all thought of the same thing - at the same time.

"You know you guys are dead right?" Sam asked as she wiped the snow away from her eyes and hair.

"I cannot help but feel skeptical, Samantha," Teal'c answered smugly from across the yard.

"Yeah, I'm with him, Sam," Daniel added. "You look a little incapacitated."

"Oh, I'll incapacitate YOU!" Sam cried as she bent down and grabbed as much snow as her hand could hold. Jack winced. That was gonna hurt. Sam caught his look and raised an eyebrow, an action she had undoubtedly mastered with Teal'c's assistance. "You too... Sir."

Jack rolled his eyes and grinned.

"You couldn't hit the broad side of Anubis, Carter," Jack replied, goading her and knowing it. "Don't try to kid yourself."

Sam looked decidedly indignant, however kept her cool.

"Uh huh."

"He's right, Sam. When was the last time you played... dodge ball?" Daniel asked innocently.

"It's like riding a bike," Sam answered as she threw the snowball at full force at Daniel's face.

"Ugh!"

**SPLAT!**

"That looked most unpleasant, Daniel Jackson," Ry'ac said with a derisive grin.

"Yeah, that had to hurt, Daniel," Cassandra agreed.

"Yeah, yeah." Daniel sighed and took off his glasses to clean them.

"Had enough?"

Daniel could just make out Sam's figure a mere five feet away, and instinctively held up his hands in defeat. She looked like she was armed again.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah. I'm good."

Sam turned to Teal'c.

"What about you?"

Teal'c barely glanced her way, before he practically stuck his nose in the air. "You have yet to prove that you are to truly be feared."

"Oh, here we go," Cassandra muttered.

"Yikes, Teal'c," Jack replied. "That's bold."

"Quite." Sam agreed as she dropped the snow back onto the ground, and dusted her hands off, sending Teal'c a menacing glare all the while. "Just you wait, Teal'c. Your time will come."

"I will," Teal'c returned, his stoic stare only masking his curiosity - and fear- as to how Sam would retaliate. Slowly, Teal'c crossed the field, and followed Daniel, Cassandra, and Ry'ac. It looked as if they were going to show Ry'ac how to make a snowman.

Sam let the last of the snow fall out of her hands and grinned, before glancing at Jack.

"And you!"

"Me?" Jack looked shocked.

"Yeah, you!" Sam answered as she approached him. Jack looked nervous.

"I think I hear someone calling my name." Anything to get him away from a mad Carter.

"You - "

"Yep, someone definitely needs my assistance…" He looked like he was on the verge of bolting right there.

"You hit me." Sam shook her head. "Out of all of the things I expected, that was not one of them, sir."

"Well... I can't go out there and play Snowball War with you guys," Jack explained as he glanced around. "I have a reputation to protect. Propriety and all that."

"Naturally," Sam agreed.

"So, I thought I'd get at least one hit in, before I had to go back inside."

"Of course."

"And that hit just happened to be..."

"Me," Sam finished.

Jack nodded slowly, though he doubted she was in any pain. "Ya hurt? I mean, besides your pride, of course."

"I'll live." Sam smiled. She turned back to the yard as Ry'ac attempted to make a large ball for the snowman's torso. "After I get back at Teal'c, of course."

"Really?" Jack grinned.

"Yep." Sam turned to him and nodded. "And you were right..."

"About?"

"Us... this... It was a perfect journey, sir."

Jack smiled nostalgically, nodded, and watched as Ry'ac's snowball turned out to be too big to work as the snowman's torso. The snowman instantly went toppling to the ground. Cassandra was laughing so hard, it looked like she was going to fall over, while Teal'c and Daniel were busy trying to show Ry'ac how to make a good-sized torso - without laughing at him so obviously. Jack chuckled and sighed once more. When he turned to Sam she was looking at him. Jack chuckled again at her look of confusion, and turned back to the group once more.

"Uh... I don't know, Sam," he retorted.

"What do you mean?" Sam followed his gaze again.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken," Jack began as he noticed that the party had followed them outside, "I'd have to say that the journey is just beginning."

Sam turned in time to see that all of the residents - their new neighbors, so to speak - were heading out into the snow. They, too, were enjoying the landscape, the weather, the simple fellowship of ordinary people with a common goal. People were laughing, talking, living. Sam had to agree.

Despite all of the lives they had personally lost in this seemingly never-ending mission - Major Charles Kawalsky, including over 250 other SGC personnel, Sha're, Martouf, Daniel (once, but never again!), General Hammond, Janet Fraiser, her own father, entire races of people - the ends had seemed to justify the means in a twisted sort of way. Those amazingly wonderful and beautiful people had not died in vain.

Sam sighed at the memories, but she smiled at the prospects. They had saved Earth once and for all. And they would live to see another day.

They had succeeded in completing their utmost mission objective, and the journey wasn't over yet. It still had generations and generations to finish. This theory was confirmed as she watched the younger children spill out of the warehouse at an incalculable speed. She turned back to Jack, who was patiently awaiting her response, and nodded in agreement. Sam was unable to keep the look of content from washing over her, and from the looks of things, Jack was having the same problem.

"I'd have to say you're right, Jack. I don't think we've seen the end just yet," Sam averted her attention to the others, who were still playing in the snow. "And we probably won't for a long time. Perhaps one journey has ended, but another one is only just beginning."


End file.
